


Hearts and Rules get Broken

by jaqtkd



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Childhood Friends, F/M, Jonerys Valentine's Week, Modern Era, Past Child Abuse, also no gifts prompt, jonerys valentines, love letter prompt, might be continued
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-28 04:54:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17780957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaqtkd/pseuds/jaqtkd
Summary: Jonerys Valentines 2019.  Day 1.  Partially including 'Love Letter' and 'but we said no gifts'Dany always gets a ton of Valentines but is only interested in the usual platonic card from her best friend, Jon. If only he would stick to the rules!





	Hearts and Rules get Broken

**Author's Note:**

> Still struggling with my new multi chapter, so this week was a nice excuse to move away from that and write a little, light something. I was inspired by a scene from one of my originals here and yet it definitely has the potential to be revisited I think.

"How many this year?" Missandei asked as she walked in to discover her Dorm mate sitting cross legged on her bed and surrounded by cards, flowers and chocolates.

Daenerys shrugged, more resigned than excited by all the gifts. "No idea. More than last year I think."

She was shuffling through the numerous envelopes as if they were playing cards, chewing a strand of silver hair, brow furrowed as she discarded a few and searched for one particular card. The only one she felt comfortable opening herself.

"Oh, the irony," Missandei laughed, picking up the nearest, small box to examine the label. "All this attention lavished on the only girl on campus who wants none of it." She lowered the first one and picked up another.

"I've had more than enough of _that_ sort of attention in my life already," Dany complained.

"I know. I understand," her best friend replied softly, before gasping at the next name she read. "Ramsay? Ugh! If Myranda found out he was sending this ...?"

"No way I'm going to read _that_ card," Dany said with a shudder. "That boy gives me the creeps. I dread to think what it says."

"Agreed,” Missandei replied, putting it to one side and continuing her usual job of sorting through the letters and cards and deciding which ones might be suitable for her friend to read. “Far too many of these have girlfriends of their own.” She read another and giggled. “Or boyfriends.”

"And most are signed,” Dany continued, rolling her eyes. “They still don't understand that it's supposed to be anonymous. I mean ...” She finally found what she was looking for and smiled brightly, holding up the envelope. "Here, you see? My name typed and with just a small snowflake on the corner as a clue." She ripped it open eagerly. "He won't have signed it inside either. At least Jon understands the rules."

Daenerys had had a traumatic childhood with a violent, abusive father and a brother who was not much better. Viserys had left marks that were less visible than her father’s, it was true, but the games he and his friend Drogo had wanted to play with her once she hit puberty had left her with far deeper, emotional scars.

After a couple of attempts at dating – which were never going to work due to her history or the boys’ lack of empathy – Daenerys decided that it just wasn't worth the hassle and focused all of her attention on school instead. Now, finally free of her abusers, she wanted nothing more than to finish her degree in peace. Unfortunately, it appeared that her looks and apparently haughty attitude acted as some sort of challenge to most of the young men at university and Dany regularly had to refuse offers of dates. Along with considerably less polite requests.

Her childhood friend Jon had been a godsend throughout all of this. Her own, personal bodyguard who would escort her between classes even if it meant being late for his own lectures. His glowering presence by her side managed to keep away the worst of the lechers, although it didn't discourage everyone, even when she and Jon had pretended to date for a while.

Her quiet, serious friend had first given her a Valentine card when they were seven – a handmade one decorated with colourful, scribbled flowers, an odd looking dragon and a handful of snowflakes. To this day, Dany had no idea _how_ Jon had known what her favourite animal was, but she had always understood that it had been his way of reaching out to her. Of telling her he wanted to protect her … somehow. After all, what else could a small boy, who was struggling with his own family problems, realistically do to protect her.

He had continued to draw her Valentines cards every year since then. At first his were the only ones she received but, inevitably, as she grew older, they were soon joined by cards from others – shop bought and silly and … annoying. All the while, Jon’s endearing, childish scribbles turned more beautiful and accurate with each passing year. The pretty images decorating the front of these cards rarely displayed anything romantic, instead showing something that was personal to them. Today’s was was a wonderful surprise though and Dany gasped at the sight of an amazingly accurate portrait of her atop a mighty dragon, looking fierce and proud and … everything she tried to be, but knew was really a desperate act.

“Missi. Look!” She turned it towards her friend, tears threatening.

“Wow. That’s amazing.”

“He always was so talented, but this ...” Dany didn’t know what it was about exactly, but it just seemed so real and … personal somehow. She never ceased to be amazed at how well Jon seemed to understand her – fully – even when most of their conversations were so casual and light.

She opened the card, expecting the usual imagery in place of words; a dragon and wolf (their favourite animals) or fire and ice (an in-joke about how she loved the heat and he the cold – apparently the only thing the two of them _didn’t_ have in common), and so was surprised when a piece of folded paper fell out onto her lap. Jon’s cards had always been the same. Always free of gifts or additions. Why the change?

She nibbled at the strand of hair more rigorously and frowned as she slowly opened it.

> ####  To my best friend
> 
> ####  My goddess
> 
> ####  My life
> 
> ####  My heart
> 
> ####  My home

She gaped at it. Her heart and mind racing and she studied the words and tried to make sense of it. What did he mean by including this? Had he meant to gift it to someone else, perhaps? If it was for her then … why? This was _not_ the way their friendship worked.

“What is it?” Missandei asked her, suddenly glancing up from her study of all the other cards when she realised how quiet she had become.

“N-nothing,” Dany said, quickly folding the note and putting in her pocket. “How are you getting on?”

“Fine,” her friend replied, pulling a face as she held up a few envelopes. “Although I feel like I need another shower after reading these few.”

“I’m sorry, Missi. You shouldn’t have to–”

“–Nonsense. It’s the least I can do. I’ll just bin them. No need for you to have to read such filth.”

How would she ever have survived these last few years without her two best friends. _Friends? Jon?_ _Just friends?_ She winced at the muddled thoughts, trying to put the confusion to one side.

“And the others?” she asked.

“These are a bit naughty but not too bad if you want to read them?” Missandei told her, showing her another small pile.

Dany pulled a face. “No thanks.”

“This final group are just sweet and mostly anonymous. Nothing to worry about.”

She looked at them, unsure. Honestly she’d rather just ignore the lot.

“Maybe,” she said, putting that last pile on her desk. “You’ll deal with the gifts as usual?”

“Of course, but are you sure there’s nothing here you want?” her friend asked. “These chocolates from … ‘your most devoted servant’?” She chuckled. “Or these flowers from Margaery?”

Dany shook her head. “No. You can put them in the common room as usual.” She picked up a piece of card and wrote ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’ in bright pink, curvy letters before passing it over. “As you said, there are those who didn’t get anything this year. Hopefully this will be some consolation to them.”

Missandei smiled. “They would prefer something personal, I’m sure but … you’re right, of course. Might as well share the goodies around.”

“I couldn’t eat _all_ of those chocolates anyway.” Dany laughed, holding her hands out in front of her. “Or perhaps I should. Perhaps that might put them off for next year?”

“Somehow I doubt it,” her friend said with a gentle smile.

“Anyway, what about you?” Dany asked as she got up from the bed and started to collect her things up for the first lecture.

“I actually got two this year,” Missandei replied brightly, “and one was ...”

Dany saw the colour suddenly flood her friend’s cheeks and her own worry about Jon’s card quickly faded. “What?”

“I think it was from Grey and ...”

“And?”

She shrugged. “It just said, ‘Will you be my Valentine?’ Nice and simple but …”

“And?” Dany smirked. “Will you?”

She shrugged. “Perhaps. It was anonymous though so ...”

“Did you send _him_ a card?”

She nodded, eyes lowered whilst Dany rolled hers.

“Honestly, you two. How many years have you been skipping around each other?”

“Stop matchmaking,” Missandei complained as they walked towards the door. “You know you’re in no position to–”

“–Good morning ladies.”

Dany’s smile instantly died as she saw Jon standing outside as usual – his dark clothes and stern expression making him look like a guard at her door. Which, she supposed, in some ways he was.

“Good morning, Jon,” Missandei replied brightly, obviously unaware of the inner turmoil her best friend was currently experiencing after reading that poem.

‘ _My heart. My home.’_ The words just refused to disappear from her head.

“How many this year?” he asked noticing the bag Missandei was carrying.

“Twenty three?” she replied. “No, twenty four including yours.”

“What? Wow.” Jon glanced over at Dany and frowned as she glared at him very slightly, swallowing heavily before turning back to her friend. “Anyone I need to beat up this year, Missi?”

She laughed. “The usual suspects but … probably best you don’t.”

He glowered. “One of these days I will. I swear.”

Missandei looked between a silent Daenerys and a wide-eyed Jon and frowned, not quite sure what was going on.

“The card was amazing, Jon,” she continued, obviously trying to keep the conversation going.

“Thanks.” He bit his lip. “Was it all right, Dany? Did you like it?”

“The _art_ was lovely,” she replied, eyes still down.

Jon winced, looking up at Missandei’s confused expression and biting his lip again. “But a bit too much, perhaps?”

She just shrugged, having no idea how to respond. Having no idea what she actually felt about the poem.

The three of them continued to walk together until Missandei peeled off to head towards the common room where she would deposit the various gifts on the table for anyone to help themselves to. Jon then walked with Daenerys to her lecture as usual, simply glaring at a couple of young men who appeared to be heading towards her, warning them off in his own, unique way. She was hardly aware of it though, still dwelling on the poem and wondering what to say. Debating whether she should confront him about it or just pretend that nothing had changed between them at all.

“I’m sorry, Dany,” Jon said eventually. “I wasn’t sure but … I had been thinking about writing you something for a few years now and after last week … I thought ... perhaps ...”

She rounded on him and he stopped, hands held up, appearing genuinely fearful of her anger. Considering her small size and his strength, the reaction might have amused her on any other day.

“I thought we had an understanding, Jon. I thought you knew me.”

“I’m sorry, Dany … I really am. I just …” He looked up at her with an expression so sad that she found herself regretted her outburst, despite knowing it was justified.

“You just what?” she asked.

“I had to know. I had to let _you_ know.”

She shook her head and folded her arms. “You could have just asked?”

“Yes.” He nodded, dropping his gaze again. “I should have asked. I’m sorry.” He looked back up, his gaze sincere. “Can you forgive me?”

Her heart skipped and she felt this strange lurch in her stomach that she couldn’t quite understand. “Don’t do that,” she grumbled.

He blinked. “Do what?”

“Turn that puppy dog look on me.”

He was trying hard not to smile. “Wolf. Please.”

Damn, why did he have to make this so difficult? She knew she hadn’t managed to hide the start of a smile. “All right. Don’t turn that wolf pup look on me, Jon.”

He took her hands in his abruptly and she didn’t even flinch. He was the only male she would allow to touch her like this. The only one she would ever let get close. “I’m sorry,” he repeated.

She simply nodded, knowing that, no matter how angry and confused she felt, she would never be able to push him away. Would never want to end their friendship.

“Just stick to the art in future,” she ordered, lifting her chin as she gently removed her hands from his.

“Was my poetry _that_ bad?”

She laughed then, frustrated at how impossible it was to stay mad at him. “It wasn’t _bad_ ,” she admitted as they resumed their walk towards the lecture room, “but, as I said, best you focus on the art.”

“I think I captured you quite well in that painting though,” Jon continued then, taking up her teasing tone. “A beautiful queen atop a mighty dragon. A fire goddess with hair like … Oh!”

Dany turned to see him rooted to the spot, staring off into the distance. “What?”

“Had another art idea.” He nodded. “I’ll work on that one for your next card.” She glared at him and he winced. “Without the poetry, I promise.”

She wrestled with a strange emotion then – an odd sort of loss – biting her lip as she whispered, “No ...”

“Sorry?”

“No,” she repeated a little louder. “I … I honestly think you need the practice. Only … next time ...”

“N-next time?” he breathed.

“Just … try to be a bit more subtle.”

She looked up at him and honestly wished she hadn’t. His eyes wide, his lips slightly parted.

“Next time?” he repeated.

She hid a smile, secretly enjoying the reaction. “Thank you for walking me here, Jon. You’d better get going. You don’t want to be late for your lecture.”

“You’re welcome,” he replied, still looking a bit stunned. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Dany.”

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Jon.”

~o~0~o~

**Author's Note:**

> This was a fun little break for me. Hope you enjoyed it. First two pieces of 'art' (Jon's scribble )by me and the last one created with help from @the_last_targaryens
> 
> So, yes, this might be revisited. Even wondering if I could use tomorrow's 'fake dating' prompt to revisit that period mention by Dany here (but probably a bit short notice) These two versions of Jon and Dany are also fairly close to the ones I'm toying with for my other possible multi chapter so this might end up being a brief introduction to that. 
> 
> Do let me know what you think and what you might like to see from these two in the future.


End file.
